Riffing off of the recent sale of the painting “The Scream”…

“Edvard Munch’s The Scream Sells For Record $119.9 Million”

…here’s another great marketing cartoon from Tom Fishburne…

Full post at “marketing clutter”.

From the post…

“There has never been a greater level of marketing clutter. Yankelovich Consumer Research charts that “we’ve gone from being exposed to about 500 marketing messages a day back in the 1970s to as many as 5,000 a day today.”

At the same time, marketing communication is often little more than a string of adjectives: bigger, better, faster, cheaper, etc.

So we marketers are interrupting consumers more, but with fewer meaningful things to say.”

So yes, marketers very definitely have a challenge in getting the attention of their prospects.

But wait!  What’s this I find in an old Dan Kennedy newsletter from November 2004?

Yet another dire prediction of the death of advertising as…

“Consumers Feel Assaulted By Advertising”.

(Gee, what happened?  The ad jumped off the page, rolled itself up and whacked the reader over the head?!?)

…reported a study from Forrester Research.  In fact, what they found was…

“…consumers are shunning ads because the quantity and intrusiveness is too high, relevance too low.”

Hmm. So the real problem both then and today is, in fact, bad advertising.

More specifically, advertising that is not relevant to the prospect.

So how exactly do we make our advertising and copy relevant?

Here are 4 relevance factors…

1. Timing / Timeliness

2. Place / Location

3. Language

4. Customisation

Let’s look a little more deeply at each of these…

1. Timing

Dan Kennedy has a saying “the only difference between salad and garbage is timing”.  Now we rarely have control of ideal timing.  But we can take advantage of topical, timing based opportunities that arise.

One example, holidays, events and anniversaries each month ( for example, as discussed in my regular “Looking Ahead – Marketing Calendar” posts like this month’s “Looking Ahead – Marketing Calendar June 2012″.)

Another example, political events (elections and budgets).

2. Place

Actual physical location can often be highly relevant to your target audience.

Beyond that, you’ll often find that regional identity can be highly relevant.

For example, in the USA, the South is very distinct from other areas.

Consider the number of specialist magazines like “Southern Living”…

…and I found this interesting “Southern Women”.

In Australia, there’s a big difference between the “Bush” and the urban majority…

…and states like Queensland and WA tend to view themselves differently to the rest of the country.

So a location difference often incorporates mental and emotional differences as well.

3. Language

Every distinct group has it’s own “language”, vocabulary and phrasing.  To be relevant you MUST understand and speak the language of your audience.  If you don’t, you’re marked as an outsider, not relevant and not trusted.

4. Customisation

Pretty much everyone thinks that they are different and unique (OK, there may be a few poor lost souls out there who believe they are part of a Borg-like collective, but let’s not concern ourselves with them).

So, the more specific and customised you can make your offer and appeal…

…the more relevance your message will have.

Of course, it will be relevant to fewer people but that’s OK if you’re getting through to the right people.

More thoughts on tackling this issue from my good mate copywriter Pete Godfrey…

“Hey YOU! – Copywriting Tips To Grab Attention”.

So keep these ideas…particularly RELEVANCE…in mind and you’ll avoid prospects turning off to “Scream” in exasperation!

The month of June is approaching…

…and we’re almost halfway through the year 2012!

Time to look ahead at holidays and events that can make up a Marketing Calendar for June 2012…

…that we can use as the basis for event-driven direct response marketing campaigns or promotions.

First, let’s take a look at the calendar in Australia.

June 1 – “Official” first day of winter

June 4 – Foundation Day (WA)

June 11 – Queens Birthday (all states except WA and QLD).

The Queen’s Birthday long weekend also marks the traditional start to the skiing season.

June 21 – Winter Solstice (occurs on June 20 at 23.09 UT which makes it June 21 in Australia)

June 30 – End of the financial year

Moving on, here’s this month’s video overview…

You can view this on YouTube at “Marketing Calendar June 2012″.

Looking at events in the wider world…

…the broad theme can be thought of as “Summer”…

…with Father’s Day (June 17) in the USA, UK and Canada.

In the sporting world, the soccer Euro 2012 starts on June 8 (with the final on July 1)…

…and Wimbledon 2012 starts on June 25.

Other events…

June 2/5 – Royal Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in UK

June 14 – Flag Day (USA)

June 17 – Father’s Day (USA, UK, Canada)

June 20 – Summer Solstice (takes place at 23.09 UT so date may fall on June 21 depending on location)

June 23 – Anniversary of birth of Alan Turing, celebrated mathematician and codebreaker

June 29 – Remote Control Day (in 1964 the remote control device was introduced)

June 30 – Meteorite Day (anniversary of the 1908 meteorite crash in Siberia)

Also keep in mind that school and academic years may be ending in June, which affords an opportunity for a “graduation” theme.

And June 30 / July 1 marks the halfway point for the year.

A “Heads Up”…

…the 2012 Summer Olympics is approaching and runs from July 27 to August 12.

To conclude, on June 18, 1935 the Rolls-Royce trademark is registered.  The logo remains a memorable statement of “strength, dignity and quality”.

Every success with your event-driven marketing in June 2012!

ANZAC Day 2012…

…once again a day of remembrance and deep national significance.

Links to posts from previous years…

ANZAC Day 2011

ANZAC Day 2010

…and here’s the Australian War Memorial ANZAC page.

Lat year I posted to this story about a lesser known ANZAC Day battle…

…“The other Anzac Day heroes”…

…at the Battle Of Kapyong.

The ODE…

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

With thanks to those who served, those who serve today and those who support them.

…as well as any marketer and entrepreneur.

Have you ever pinned down what is the REAL secret of success?

Hard work, sure.

Lucky breaks, definitely.

The right knowledge and skills also play a big part in it.

But then there’s “the rest of the story…”

Example: David Garfinkel hung out many times at Jay Conrad Levinson’s house when Jay still lived in Northern California. David ended up co-authoring an audiobook with Jay (Guerrilla Copywriting) and co-authored two other Guerrilla Marketing print books.

Another example: John Carlton worked in Jay Abraham’s office, and was also Gary Halbert’s writing partner for many years.

And John is now the go-to guy for just about every top marketer in the entrepreneurial world today.

Still another example: “Million Dollar Mike”

Morgan actually flew to New Zealand to work for a while in Mark Joyner’s business. Now Mike is the leading online marketing innovator who actually practices what he knows.

I mention this because Garfinkel, Carlton, and Morgan know from personal experience that WHO you know is at least as important as WHAT you know.

They are 3 of the 6 speakers at the High-Speed Copywriting Private Workshop in San Francisco May 5 and 6.

The other 3 — Brian McLeod, Craig Eubanks, and Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero — have equally famous and successful high-level contacts.

They have invested considerable effort and expense LEARNING from their ninja connections.

What they learned was a key part of the extraordinary success they enjoy.

Maybe they will tell you about their life-altering experiences at the High-Speed Copywriting event…

HIGH SPEED COPYWRITING 

Here’s my point. Individual initiative, attitude, and “grit” are all vitally important to success in business, especially marketing.

And so is knowing what to do and what NOT to do.

But just as important is who you know.

The magic moments of ninja networking.

Because NO ONE can do it all by themselves.

No one.

Ninja networking is the worst-kept secret of success on the planet.

Everyone knows it’s important.

But very few people realize HOW important.

A two-minute conversation during a break, or over coffee, can mean so much more to you than hundreds of high-pro?le connections on LinkedIn (or Facebook).

That is a primary reason to attend the High-Speed Copywriting Private Workshop in San Francisco May 5 and 6.

Because of the people who will be there.

Who you meet and the insights that result could truly change your life.

So check it out while there’s still time:

HIGH SPEED COPYWRITING 

Don’t underestimate the importance of “ninja networking.”

Nothing is guaranteed in life, of course, except one thing:

If you don’t know the movers and shakers, it’s going to be a lot harder for you to get things done.

It’s amazing how knowing the right people can open doors for you that you never even knew existed.

Go meet those people at the High-Speed Copywriting private workshop…

HIGH SPEED COPYWRITING 

I talk a fair bit about using stories in copywriting and marketing and one story that has assumed almost legendary status in direct response circles is that of the Schlitz Beer company.

Jay Abraham often mentions this story as a great example of the idea of pre-emptive positioning (I’ll expand on that later).  No surprise that it involves the great Claude Hopkins.

As with many things, many people “know” about the story but fewer have actually read the original.  It’s actually in “My Life In Advertising”, not the better known “Scientific Advertising”. So here it is…

Schlitz Beer was another advertising campaign which I handled for J.L. Stack.  Schlitz was then in fifth place.  All brewers at the time were crying “Pure”. They put the word “Pure” in large letters.  Then they took double pages to put it in larger letters.  The claim made about as much impression on people as water makes on a duck.

I went to brewing school to learn the science of brewing, but that helped me not at all.  Then I went through the brewery.  I saw plate-glass rooms where beer was dripping over pipes, and I asked the reason for them. They told me those rooms were filled with filtered air, so the beer could be cooled in purity.  I saw great filters filled with white-wood pulp.  They explained how that filtered the beer.  They showed how they cleaned every pump and pipe, twice daily, to avoid contaminations.  How every bottle was cleaned four times by machinery.  They showed me artesian wells, where they went 4,000 feet deep for pure water, though their brewery was on Lake Michigan.  They showed me the vats where the beer was aged for  six months before it went out to the user.

They took me to their laboratory and showed me their original mother yeast cell.  It had been developed by 1,200 experiments to bring out the utmost in flavor.  All of the yeast used in making Schlitz Beer was developed from that original cell.

Pretty amazing huh?  I’ve read that passage many times before but I still think “Wow…this must be some special beer!”  Hopkins thought so too…

I came back to the office amazed. I said: “Why don’t you tell people these things?  Why do you merely try to cry louder than others that your beer is pure? Why don’t you tell the reasons?”

“Why,” they said, “the processes we use are just the same as others use.  no one can make good beer without them.”

“But,” I replied, “others have never told this story.  It amazes everyone who goes through your brewery. It will startle everyone in print.”

As indeed turned out to be the case and Schlitz went from fifth place to neck-and-neck with first place in a few months.

Back to the idea of pre-emptive positioning.  Everybody pretty much made beer the same way…

…but Schlitz claimed the “purity” position FIRST.  And once you’ve got that position, it’s hard for a competitor to dislodge you. Even if they manage to compete with you, you still have (and cannot lose) the “original purity” position!

As well as the strategic positioning lesson in this story…

…note the tactical copywriting lesson of telling the story behind your product in a way that is meaningful and interesting to your prospect.

And Hopkins gave an example of how powerful copy like this can be.

He tells of how a businessman who had never drunk beer was so impressed by the ad, that he ordered a bottle of Schlitz.  He wanted to taste a product made under such ideals of purity!

Stories are very, very powerful ways to engage the reader and get under the radar to talk about your product or service.  Well worth studying examples like the Schlitz Beer story and seeing how you can apply the power of stories in your marketing and copywriting.

No copywriter wants to be in the nightmare situation where a big project…

…like a major product launch, for example…

is held up because the copy isn’t finished.

Even if it’s not your fault…

…there are going to be problems and unhappy people to face.

So, being able to deliver great copy under less than ideal circumstances and up against the clock…

…is a VERY valuable skill for any copywriter.

One man has spent the last 20 years perfecting a system that means you can deliver under the most trying of circumstances.

His name is David Garfinkel and on May 5th in San Francisco, he will unveil a powerful new system called…

HIGH-SPEED COPYWRITING

Known by many as “the world’s greatest copywriting coach,” David has mentored many of today’s top-converting (and top-earning) copywriters in the business.

David is teaming up with Brian McLeod, John Carlton, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Craig Eubanks and “Million Dollar Mike” Morgan to present this one-of-a-kind private program.

I recommend it strongly because it will solve the one problem nearly every marketer has: Copy takes TOO LONG to get done!

You see, David and his business partner Brian have come up with a virtually fool-proof system to get your copy done — a complete sales letter, video script, or magazine space ad — in two days or less!

This is big news.  Read all about it:

HIGH SPEED COPYWRITING

Whether you are a marketer who hates to write… an experienced copywriter…

…or just someone who needs an edge in today’s increasingly crazy marketplace…

…this workshop will take the mystery (and pain) out of getting copy done and give you a complete, proven system to make it easier and much, much faster.

Even if you hire copywriters, you’ll find this system gives you a great competitive advantage.

Why?

Because you’ll finally be able to quickly spot what’s right and what’s wrong, know what’s missing, and get it fixed with greater confidence and certainty than ever before.

And if you write copy… well, the advantage to you should be obvious by now.

High-Speed Copywriting has my highest recommendation.  Check it out now:

HIGH SPEED COPYWRITING

A few years back at David’s “Breakthrough Copywriting” workshop, I saw the power of the prototype of this system in action.

One of the speakers, an experienced marketer but not a specialist copywriter, needed to produce a piece of copy URGENTLY.

So he dug into the material and in just a couple of hours had come up with a piece that, frankly, was a LOT better than what they typically used.

He was (pleasantly) surprised how fast and easy it turned out.  Remember, this was an early prototype.

Among experienced marketers, the phrase “money follows speed” is an accepted truth.

Here’s how to get that speed on your side:

HIGH SPEED COPYWRITING

(FTC disclosure…yes, I will get paid a commission if you decide to make the wise investment in this training as a result of my recommendation.)

As a copywriter this recent headline made me smile and caught my attention…

“French bread spiked with LSD in CIA experiment”

I imagine there would be a fairly large proportion of the population who had their curiosity aroused and had to find out more.

Which, of course, is what makes a great headline…inflaming that desire to discover more.

There are a couple of things to note about the headline.

Firstly, what ace copywriter John Carlton terms the “juxtaposition” of two elements that don’t seem to fit.

In this instance, you have the combination of the very ordinary (the bread, albeit slightly exotic because it’s French)…

…with the outre (LSD).

Add to that what I will call the “mysterious character” in the form of the CIA…

…and you have a fairly potent headline.

Certain organisations, individuals and character-types have acquired a certain mystique.

For whatever reason, we credit them with unusual powers, abilities and influence…

…that sets them apart from the rest of us.

On the one hand they are somewhat sinister and regarded with suspicion…

…on the other there’s a compelling fascination.

It’s really a variation on the power of “secrets”…

…these people know something we don’t and if we can discover what it is, then we can be more successful (or powerful).

There’s also what we might call an element of “glamour” or excitement about these figures…

…you might call it “celebrity”.

Most people lead fairly humdrum lives of “quiet desperation” so there’s a fascination with people who seem to live outside of that.

Whatever the reasons, these mysterious characters can be valuable allies to the copywriter…

…in headlines and making guest appearances in bullets, for example.

Intelligence agencies like the CIA, the old KGB and Mossad are one group.

Elite military units like the SEALs, the SAS and Delta another.

Here are some other examples from the late, great Gary Halbert.  They come from one of my most prized “swipe” resources, a selection of his headlines and leads.

“Scientists Discover The Invisible Cause…”

“Russian Scientists Discover Simple Secret…”

“Do The Rich Get Better Investment Advice…”

“Researchers In FDA Certified Lab Discover…”

“The Amazing Fighting Secret Of A Very Deadly Mexican…”

And, of course, you can always reach back into the past to call on mysterious secret societies like the Knights Templar.

So, when you get the opportunity, add some spice to your copy with some elements of mystery and intrigue.

I’ve mentioned the great John Carlton…

…and there’s a rare opportunity coming up to learn the finer arts of copywriting from him at a one-of-a-kind workshop in San Francisco.

It’s at the “High Speed Copywriting” training hosted by David Garfinkel and Brian McLeod.

In just two days, you’ll get a proven system for cranking out money-making copy on demand…

…tested and proven by some of the best copywriters on the planet.

Well worth you taking a look at “High Speed Copywriting”.  It’s coming soon…so why not check this out now while it’s on your mind?

If I said I knew a way you could write a complete sales letter (from scratch) in under two days, you’d tell me that was completely ridiculous, right?

Yeah, you probably would say that.

Because most people take a week…even months… to finish a sales letter that works.

But if you found out that you would be given, and then coaxed through, a brand-new yet proven system to create a sales letter in two days or less…

…in a small-group setting, with David Garfinkel, Brian McLeod, John Carlton, “Million Dollar Mike” Morgan, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero and Craig Eubanks leading the way…

… then maybe you would believe me.

It’s true. David and Brian put together a “dream team” of copywriters to speak at a seminar you will want to take a serious look at:

High-Speed Copywriting!

Here’s the background:

David has been working on taking the “ouch” out of writing copy for 14 years.

Due to a strange chain of events, he has very recently come up with the perfect system that gets all the hard work done BEFORE you ever start writing your copy.

So you let the High-Speed Copywriting system do the first part of its magic for you.

Then, a powerful, easy-to-follow “road map” that guides you through the next part– and every step of your copy is done.

David and his business partner Brian will walk you through this breakthrough method in just two days.

But that’s not all. John Carlton will wake you up to some important entrepreneurial realities that will have you laughing, gasping, and shaking your head — and just knowing these will add greatly to your income potential this year (maybe next month)!

Craig Eubanks will let you in on email secrets you never knew. He has used emails to build up multi-million-dollar businesses, so you’ll want to hear what he has to say.

Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero will open up a huge group in your market you may not be reaching, even if you think you are. That group is women!

Lorrie can tell you about the mistakes most people are missing, and how to fix them.

And “Million Dollar Mike” Morgan is sharing inside information on the latest high-converting online techniques: animated video sales letters, and “take-no-prisoners” webinars!

It’s all at…

High Speed Copywriting

One of the big “stoppers” for many marketers and entrepreneurs is the sheer amount of time (and frustration) in what it takes to get copy done.

Imagine how your productivity would skyrocket if copywriting were no longer a problem in your business — but a secret weapon instead.

This seminar can change everything for you – check it out!

High Speed Copywriting

I spoke with David today and he said it was nothing short of a miracle to assemble this Copywriting “Dream Team”.  He’s not sure it will ever happen again, so this is a unique opportunity for you.

So take a look now, while it’s on your mind…

High Speed Copywriting 

And if you do decide to make the wise choice to attend this “one-of-a-kind” training, please be aware that I will receive a commission for pointing you in the right direction.

“Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”

- Colloquial expression describing usually trivial and ultimately futile efforts to save a failing system

Today (April 15) is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

To this day, still one of the worst ever peacetime maritime disasters…

…it has become something of a cautionary tale warning against hubris and complacency.

At the time, the Titanic was the largest vessel afloat and was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury.

Incorporating advanced design features, the ship was deemed to be “unsinkable”…

…and so only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people, a third of the total passengers and crew.

When disaster struck and the ship proved to be all-too sinkable…

…the result was 1,514 people lost their lives.

So what’s this got to do with marketing in the second decade of the 21st century?

Well, the great financial crisis of recent years (which isn’t over yet by a long shot)…

…was a watershed event.

Nothing will be the same again after that…

…and we’re now in what Dan Kennedy likes to call “The New Economy”.

From “No B.S. Business Success – In The New Economy”….

“…a whole lot has changed in the business world too.  The once mighty have fallen, the credit and banking system is in collapse and under recreation, a new eagerness for massive government interference in every aspect of business as well as everyday life has permeated America, and an entirely new economy – THE New Economy – is emerging, with new rules, new restrictions, new obstacles and new opportunities. Many business owners have spent recent months wandering around, moaning ‘Oh, my God – what do I do now?’ A lot of businesspeople and investors were caught unaware, for no good reason; the entire scenario was easily forecast.  Many are moving into the New Economy weary and wounded or in stubborn denial, and may or may not survive.”

For a lot of businesses, the global financial crisis was like the Titanic hitting the iceberg. They’re holed below the waterline as the old marketing and business models don’t work as well any more.

Let’s be frank, most businesses are terrible at marketing. As a reader of this blog (and presumably similar publications) you’re part of the small minority that does understand the basic principles of successful marketing.  An awful lot of businesses were able to get by, even achieve success, in the good times without having to be terribly good.

Those days are gone…

…and simply rearranging the deckchairs isn’t going to be enough to survive in the New Economy.

It probably won’t come as any surprise to discover that my suggested solution is the discipline of direct-response and direct marketing.

In a time of relentless competition and in the face of ever-more discerning and demanding customers…

…it’s essential that any marketing and advertising produces an acceptable return on investment.

More than ever, the principles set out by the great Claude Hopkins in “Scientific Advertising” should be your guide.

The good news is that you don’t have to remain on the proverbial marketing Titanic…

…in this case there are plenty of lifeboats if you choose to chart your own course.

To my knowledge, there is no “Case Of The Consulting Copywriter” in the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

However, the great detective does have at least one great lesson for copywriters.

And in the stories themselves, advertisements play a significant role on a number of occasions…

…as we shall see.

Before that, I’ve mentioned before my love of the original stories and the recent two movies featuring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law…

“Marketing And Movie Trailers – Sherlock Holmes”

I didn’t get around to posting a “Marketing And Movie Trailers” feature for the second movie – “Game Of Shadows” so I’ll take the opportunity to post the trailer now…

If you want to be “purist” about it, there’s a lot to criticise in both of the “reimagined” Holmes movies.

But somehow Guy Ritchie pulls off this “Boys Own Adventure” style Holmes.  I think Robert Downey Jr has a lot to do with that.

Back to the original stories…

…and the advertisements that appear.

In the very first Holmes story, “A Study In Scarlet” we come across this ad in the “Found” column…

“In Brixton Road,this morning, a plain gold wedding ring, found in the roadway between the White Hart Tavern and Holland Grove.  Apply Dr.Watson, 221B, Baker Street, between eight and nine this evening.”

Short, clear and to the point, with a clear call to action.  And, of course, placed in the correct media to attract the intended audience.

There’s another example in “The Adventure Of the Blue Carbuncle”, involving a Christmas goose…

“Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat.  Mr Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B, Baker Street.”

Ads like this one appear several times in the stories and have the purpose of getting a particular individual (usually a suspect) to call at the Baker Street premises.

In other stories, the advertisement plays a different role, for example in “The Red-Headed League”…

“TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE:

On account of the bequest of the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., there is now another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a salary of four pounds a week for purely nominal services.  All red-headed men who are sound in body and mind, and above the age of twenty-one years, are eligible.  Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o’clock, to Duncan Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope’s Court, Fleet Street.”

And “The Adventure Of The Three Garridebs” features an advertisement where incongruous use of words costs the villain more than just poor response!

Now I’m not suggesting that you should add these to your swipe file and use them as models. But it worth noting both the very clear objective of the ads, with economy of words and a clear call to action.

Finally the great lesson for copywriters from the methods of Sherlock Holmes.

Again in “A Study In Scarlet”, on the way to the scene of the crime Watson is surprised that Holmes doesn’t seem to be giving much thought to the case.  Holmes replies…

“No data yet…It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence.  It biases the judgment.”

In other words, the first task is to conduct the appropriate RESEARCH.  One of the features of the stories is Holmes’ painstaking approach to detail.  In many cases, his brilliant deductions come from uncovering facts and details that others have overlooked or ignored.

Often, what seems like “creative genius” is based on hard work and attention to detail.

Of course, the Sherlock Holmes stories are works of fiction.

Nonetheless, the methods of the great detective are well worth studying by copywriters who want to produce dazzling results.